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- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 250 words.
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- Reading responses are due by 10pm on the day PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
Although Karr gave us many examples or strategies on what to do when nothing comes to mind on what to write, I feel like she could have given us many more ideas. This chapter is really short and therefore does not have much substance. I know there is not much about what someone can write about writer’s block, but given that she is a professor, I think she could have elaborated more. I like her idea about carrying a notebook with you to places to be able to have a portable thing where to keep inspiration. Most of my ideas come to me when I am driving. As soon as I hit a red light, I grab my phone and I type my bright ideas on the notes of my phone. When I am stuck trying to write, I pull out my phone and I type my sentences. I elaborate on them and I am no longer stuck. This is how I deal with writer’s block. Before writing an essay, I also write a list of things I want to incorporate in my essay. Pretty much brainstorming. I pretty much draw an outline of the main elements I am planning to incorporate. That way when I can not think of anything to write in my essay, I just begin a new paragraph by writing about a different element in my list.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Millan
To start things off, Karr’s chapter for this reading was not very interesting to me which I found odd since I fairly enjoyed the many things she went over in the book. Quite frankly it could be due to how short this chapter was that I didn’t feel like I left knowing anything new or gained any insight on what to do with writer’s block. It felt like she just gave us a definition in her own words for writer’s block and proceeded to tell us what she does to cope with it. Her suggestions were ok but it didn’t feel very impactful since everyone has a different way to deal with writer’s block. We are all different and follow unique patterns when we are writing and sometimes we hit a roadblock. Some may eat and just relax to let their brain and fingers rest while others may take a drive or walk outside and just take in the world and look for any sign of inspiration. Point is in my opinion she should have talked more about how it is very different for everyone to deal with this setback but that regardless we should never give up and look for our own ways to clear our minds. As for the Ferguson’s book, these two last chapters definitely were better than most of the book, sure she has her moments but I found that in chapter twenty-two she spent most of the time just telling us of the process of Valentin acquiring his green card. It does however begin and end well. She starts off by just dropping on us how she is marrying him and that alone was all I needed to stick around to hear how this all happened. Now granted she didn’t talk about it but it could be due to her expecting everyone to read the rest of the memoir and put the pieces together but even then it was vague. As for the final chapter I felt her is where she did shine as a writer. The words felt very natural and as I read it I felt like I was reading art just line after line sounded great to me and its what I expected from most of the book that I didn’t get but like we talked about in class she isn’t a writer but this chapter definitely was something different for her.
ReplyDeleteAmaury Cabrera
Word count 400
In chapter 19 of Karr’s book she is simply telling the reader and novice writers to keep on writing even when there seems to be nothing to really get down. She gives a list of items and ways to keep the writing flowing. Her advice is to carry around note cards or notebooks with quotes and opinions that are researched in order to gain inspiration in writing.
ReplyDeleteChapter 22 of Fergusons book shares the good news of the wedding between Valentin and the narrator. They take many pictures for proof when they go to the office for his papers. Unfortunately they do not receive the green card in time because their marriage does not appear to be legit in the eyes of the government so they still have much paper work to fill out. They begin to argue over the process and Valentin suggests they get divorced or that he should just move back to Mexico. He feels lost and like he no longer has a real home.
Chapter 23 is the part of the story where she seems to finally come to terms with the reality of immigration. She has succumbed to the inevitable in regards to her husband’s possible deportation and her impending move to Mexico for good. Then she describes how the future generations will view the changes and the violence that surrounds the border
Sheryl cavazos
Karr’s chapter on writer’s block is short but she still provides some good information. She mentions some classic ways to get around writer’s block. One of those is keeping a notebook around with you so that you can write ideas down as you are inspired. Personally I’d never carry a notebook because it isn’t as convenient as just writing notes down on your phone. Writing things down in a notebook is nice and it gives you a different feel than a phone, but the phone is just so much more readily available and you don’t need a surface or a pen/pencil to write. I was surprised she did not mention using a phone, but she probably intentionally did not mention it because she mentions writing slows you down as opposed to typing. It is much different writing than typing and I agree that it slows you down and gives you a better feel, but I still can’t see myself carrying around a notebook unless I set aside a day just to travel and write and do nothing else. Ferguson’s chapters were pretty powerful at the end. It shows how the issue about the border can tear people apart. Her story with Valentine ended out fine they remained together, but for the whole immigration issue to come between them the way that it did shows how real and difficult that experience was for them. I definitely have a much different opinion about the book than when I started, however, the ending few pages were lacking for me. The very end was not as strong as the chapters that came before, especially not the one about the immigration issues.
ReplyDelete-Jesus Prado
I’m glad that we are done with Ferguson. I gave her a chance and I tried my best to be positive about her work, but overall I am just not a fan. There were some good moments in her writing, but if I ever see any of her work again I would probably pass and look for something else. Chapter 22 was about marrying Valentin. How they had to go through the legal process of making him a U.S. citizen. To her credit, the situation did sound very believable. Going through the process of trying to make the government believe that the marriage is a real one is something that all couples must deal with when it comes to the fast tract of citizenship. To be fair to the U.S. government people do exploit this soft thin membrane of the legal system. In chapter 23, they decide that maybe it’s best if they move back to Mexico so that they don’t have to deal with the legal system anymore. That’s where I grabbed the book and through it across my room. That’s how it ends! They basically said screw it, let’s just go to Mexico and live happily ever after. I really find it odd that that’s where she ends her story. They just say screw it. I don’t know if I should be happy for them or mad because that’s what they’ve decided. Whatever the case I am just glad that we are done with her work. Karr’s chapter was not really chapter, but more like helpful tips that could help with writer’s block. She basically said to just write. Keep a notebook with you, write poems. Don’t stop writing. Easy to say but not easy to do.
ReplyDeleteWord Count: 289
Juan Garcia Jr
In Mary Karr’s chapter 19, “Old-School Technologies for the Stalled Novice” she gave personal insights upon how she overcame writer’s block. I love her idea of keeping everything in compact form, such as that of a journal or diary. Personally, I keep a journal with me whenever I got to jot down ideas, really does help because I can always revert back to it. Even the idea of index cards, and having them handy is a fluid way of keeping the best quotes and phrases within your disposal. I adore the idea. When I listen to music, I'm constantly tweeting the lyrics that really grasp my attention. It's my way of keeping them available and within reach because just a lyric alone can motivate me to start any story. Although her suggestions are very nice, I found a new-school way of establishing my thoughts on a typewriter. For me, it's difficult to type and to maintain a consistent flow. So what I have discovered to really work for me was the idea of using an everyday habit to my advantage. I TEXT a lot of my work. I use my large iPhone 6 Plus wisely. Large screen, a portable computer. A little smaller than a laptop if I don't say myself. My thumbs type faster than all my fingers can on a keyboard. When I'm typing any of my work, my thoughts are constantly flying. This is how I avoid writer's block. I simply grab my phone and I'm on GO MODE. I just type and I don't slow down until I feel that I the clear message I'm trying to get across, then I send it to my email, copy and paste to Word and I get to revising. First of and foremost, I want to get my ideas down, then the sculpting begins.
ReplyDeleteRuben Loa Jr
Karr omitted one of the most essential advice for readers encountering writer’s block, take a break. Leaving a page blank and going for let say a walk, facilitates the unconscious to rework itself for when we are ready. The other side of the argument is to force yourself to write gibberish and nonsense, anyways you can still revise and cut all the excess and stay with the vital ideas you were able to spit out. Karr offers trivial advice which includes reading poetry to keeping your own stash of poems or quotes. Chapter 22 of Ferguson gives more of that behind the scenes of the immigration process the class wanted to see in last class. For that chapter, I would have to critique her use of her photograph which is random. The chapter deals with the narrator and Valentin versus immigration, and the photo alludes to the shooting of Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez. The chapter concludes with a cliff hanger, the reader is not informed Valentin will want a divorce after all. This could be strategy, or it could be difficult for Ferguson to write any more. The conclusion for the memoir is abstract as it alludes to red blood, dust, and traveling, all of which the reader can assume is the dangerous journey of immigrants.
ReplyDeleteAlejandro Sanchez
In chapter 19 of Mary Karr’s reading, she touches on overcoming writers block. Although it is short, she does give a few ideas on how to over come writers block such as carrying around a notebook to jot down ideas. This is something I like to do because you never know what might get your inspired. My phone has become my go-to for writing down ideas. My notes are full of ideas of stories, things I would like to research, quotes that I like, etc. Because I have gone through a million different phones, I still keep a small journal in my purse for when I actually have time to write a little note for myself or get my ideas down. I think this strategy also works when you have to step away from your piece and get some fresh air. Sometimes an idea will come when you are not near your computer or piece so you need to write it down before it’s gone forever. Chapter 22 of Ferguson’s reading almost seemed like it was going to be a happy chapter. Ferguson gets to marry Valentine at the end but that didn’t result in a happy ending because they didn’t get the green card. The idea of divorce is thrown around and the whole thing is quite depressing. They do end up together but not before they get a taste of the issues associated with immigration.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Hinojosa
In Mary Karr’s chapter 19, “Old-School Technologies for the Stalled Novice” we are basically being given a list of ideas and tips as to how to write during times of writer’s block. I noticed this chapter was just a page long but perhaps a page she used from her own writer’s block? She maybe decided to throw in some of her helpful ideas when stuck to help her continue her own writing. Recently, I have been keeping a journal to write down only the things tat stood out to me or made me feel a certain way. It helps me pin point a similar emotion from the past and it inspires my writing to try my best to write more to bring an emotion or character to life. I have been using it for both Fiction and Non-Fiction. I feel that Ferguson, In her last two chapter’s, took on a lot of poetic elements, metaphors, and visionary wording that she felt she couldn’t leave out. Going from what Karr had to say about memorizing poems, perhaps Ferguson knew her own and was able to weave it into her work to not just write an ending the way she wrote the book but by choosing imagery to leave it open for interpretation. I felt her end was only a continuation of hope but coming to terms that sometimes we can only do so much,.
ReplyDeleteLisa Marie Serna
We finally finished Ferguson's memoir! Wow, I almost can't believe it. It feels like these last few weeks have gone so fast. It might also be because I read so fast the last chapters. This is because the last few chapters were the most compelling and emotional of the memoir. I liked the memoir very much, but I did feel that the transition between Ch 22 and 23 was abrupt. Chapter 22 ends with a line about Karr and Valentin's marriage deteriorating, which seems to imply an impending divorce, but then in the next chapter, they're okay and moving to Mexico?
ReplyDeleteI wrong before when I thought that other chapter was the shortest. Chapter 19 of Karr's book is the shortest. It is a list of advice when dealing with writer's block. The advice about writing reviews for books to practice "finding evidence for your opinions" was interesting. I had never that before.
Doris Tolar
Karr’s “chapter” addresses writer’s block. They do not go into much detail, so I can’t say I really benefitted from anything in this chapter. They mention how having a notebook on hand or giving reviews on other writing are ways to get past writer’s block, but I don’t entirely agree. My handwriting sucks and I sometimes have a hard time reading it when I go back. If I were to write my ideas on paper, they would be lost forever. Like my classmate mentioned, this reads more like the methods Karr uses to get past her own writer’s block. I am glad Ferguson’s book is finished. These last chapters were honestly so much better than most of the book. In chapter 22 Ferguson describes most of the things they had to face while getting Valentin to become a citizen. The only thing is I wish they would have described more. It felt like this was only touching up on certain aspects of the situation as opposed to the whole process.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Gutierrez